1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device installed on vending machine spirals that provides for a graphics presentation, to the consumer and the person restocking the machine, at the discharge end of the vending spiral. The invention can be incorporated with a kicker feature such as used in the prior art.
2. Description of Related Art
Vending machines for snack food products, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, are commonly used to distribute snack food packages to consumers. As shown in FIG. 1, such vending machines (or, as sometimes referred to herein as xe2x80x9cvendxe2x80x9d machines) use a mechanically driven spiral device 102 to deliver a selected product onto a consumer pick-up shelf (not shown). In operation, the consumer inserts currency into the machine and selects the product to be purchased from a specific vend machine spiral 102. This spiral then rotates axially 360xc2x0, thereby pushing the product, such as a bag of potato chips 104, towards a gap between the spiral 102 and a display window 106. Product 104 subsequently falls through this gap and onto the consumer pick-up shelf for retrieval by the consumer.
The vending machine is typically restocked by opening the front of the machine such that the display window 106 swings away from the spirals 102 to allow access to each of the spirals 102. The vending machine is then manually restocked by placing a product, such as potato chip bags 104, in the slots provided by each exposed turn of the spiral 102.
One of the frequent problems associated with the manual restocking of vending machine is the inconsistency of the stocking process. There is presently very little assurance that the person stocking the machine will place the appropriate product in the appropriate spiral. In fact, in the past Applicants have experienced roughly a 30% fulfillment rate of properly restocked product. This can be particularly problematic when it is desirable to introduce a new product into the vending machine, one which the person restocking the vending machine may not be familiar with. Instead, the person restocking the machine may stock the empty spiral with a familiar product, knowing that it is popular with consumers.
Better control of the restocking process could provide much greater inventory controls, assist with targeted marketing efforts, and insure that the appropriate variety of product is offered to the consumer, thereby potentially increasing overall sales. Guess work and discretion on the part of the person restocking the machine needs to be limited to allow the product supplier both improved influence over product distribution and more accurate feedback on consumer preferences.
Consequently, a need exists for a method or device to provide for consistent inventory control during the restocking process of vending machines. A solution to this problem should be inexpensive, easily adaptable to existing vending machines, and, ideally, provide for additional marketing presentation as a secondary use. At the same time, such solution should not detract from the presentation of the product 104 through the vending machine display window 106.
The proposed invention comprises an integral piece that attaches to the distribution end of a vending machine spiral and provides a graphics surface to identify the product that should be inserted in a respective spiral. Such device utilizes a convex channel that mates with the concave interior surface of the end of the spiral. A graphics surface or panel extends horizontally from such convex channel, thereby providing a means for identifying the product that should be installed in such spiral. The invention can further incorporate a prior art kicker extension perpendicular from the graphics panel.
The invention is inexpensive to manufacture and is easily installed on existing vending machines. In addition, the invention allows for the presentation of marketing or promotional information while not detracting from the presentation of the product through the vending machine display window.
The above as well as additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following written detailed description.